Schadenfreude Studios > Tabletop > D&D 3e: Calibrating Your Expectations
February 13, 2011 12:25 AM | Post #1
An interesting read, primarly focused on Dungeons & Dragons: 3rd Edition. In short, he basically says that just because your character might be "low-level" or have a "low ability score" doesn't mean your character isn't already super human. After all, a Strength score of 15 is less than an 18, sure, but such a character could still lift 200 pounds over his head. It may not be Olympic level, sure, but still considerable compared to your Average Joe.
I think this is why having Leadership require a character of atleast 6th level is appropriate. On the one hand, it represents a person who has achieved a considerable amount of experience and power, be it physicall, spiriturally, politically, or magically. It also would appear to say that your character is becoming awesome, capable of doing things that no one in our real world has ever done. Likewise, the legend lore spell treats any character of 11th level or higher as being, well, legendary, someone I would personally compare to King Author, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and any other mythical hero who fought dragons and such.
(Granted, the conversion isn't perfect, since the men's world record for overhead jerk weight lifting is in excess of 500 pounds, something a D&D human starting with Str 18 couldn't do until, well, 20th-level without magical increases or enhancements.)
URNOTE
February 16, 2011 2:54 AM | Post #2
Don't blame me for what my minions have done. Blame yourself for being the target.
February 16, 2011 4:35 AM | Post #3
As for Robin Hood? I haven't read any of his stories in a great many years, but I honestly can't see him reaching past sixth level. He's an exceptional fighter and archer, no doubt, and perhaps well adept at hiding in the woods, but a few levels of ranger or rogue with Skill Focus in a few skills should be enough to cover that (especially considering that, unlike King Authur, many of the figures in the Robin Hood stories were based on real people).
Of course if it's the Cary Elwes' Robin Hood, you have to bump him up a bit for Manyshot and being able to speak with a real, English accent.
URNOTE